Do you use an agent to list your rental property? How you list?

Question

Questions from first-time Landlord.

Is that the access to MLS important in Indy Rental market? Do you prefer to use an agent? How much do you typically pay an agent for listing the rental property and what will they do for you?

If not using agent, how do you list your rental properties?

Thanks.

Santhi Mani · Answer

Any thought about how to prevent scammers advertising our rental and getting applications, security deposit and first month rent?  Many tenants moving from out of state may just apply based on the photos and listing  without seeing the property.     Please let me know.

Lei L. · Answer

Thank you @Eric Miller

Eric Miller · Answer

@Lei L. Yes I use my personal FB. If your profile settings are set to friends only no one can see your stuff unless they are friends. They can only see some basic info about you that you have set to public. Go in your privacy settings and change anything you don’t want people to see to private.

Lei L. · Answer

Thank you, @Eric Miller and @ Kevin.S for the good advice! I tried to use the FB marketplace but didn't want to use personal account and registered a new account with a new email with FB. However, it does't allow new user to access the marketplace immediately and might have to wait for a week.  When posting to FB marketplace, will they see your persona FB account information? Just want to keep some privacy.  Thanks.

Eric Miller · Answer

I agree with @Kevin S. ....have a prewritten response (I like yours, I will change mine up a bit). I just copy and paste it to each inquiry. On FB marketplace there is a button the person can push that says "is this still available" and the message goes directly to you via Messenger. People hit that button and then never reply again many times, or ask the same questions that are all answered in the listing description, its annoying.

Kevin S. · Answer

@Lei L. no, it's free. But just my recommendation, have a pre-written general response ready for FB as you'll get a ton of messages that just say "Is this still available?" who didn't even read your post and know nothing about the property. I always reply with something like:

"Yes the property is still available. It's a 3 bed, 2 bath 1500 sq foot [SFH][Duplex][etc] renting for $XXX per month. The property does not accept renters with animals, it is a no-smoking property, and we are looking for renters with a credit score above XYZ and 3 x rent in monthly income. Would you like to schedule a tour?"

Just adjust the wording to match your original FB post and copy/paste it as a reply to all messages about the property and you'll save yourself a lot of back and forth messaging for people who aren't truly interested or wouldn't meet the qualifications.

Lei L. · Answer

@ Thank you.

I am kind of hesitate to put on a sign in front of the house. The neighborhood is like C and I worry that putting such a sign attract bad people to break in. I might be too careful?

Lei L. · Answer

Thank you , @Eric Miller

Does FB market place charge for the listing? Never thought of this, thank you.

Lauren Kormylo · Answer

I have put mine on Zillow and Craigslist. But the only good applicants I’ve gotten have come from the sign in front of the house. I put up a plastic container for flyers up too, with color photos of the interior, and more info on price, pets, qualifying requirements. I also put a sign up on the nearby major street with the property address, with an arrow pointing them to the house.   Just remember to check on the flyers, they go quickly.

Eric Miller · Answer

I use Zillow and Facebook marketplace. On the one I just rented I had 50 messages from marketplace and 17 from Zillow. So don’t leave out FB marketing. In our market agents don’t use the mls much for rentals. I’ve only put one on the mls ever and only had 2-3 calls compared to 10x that with FB and Zillow. I use Zillow applications for credit and background.